The Diamond League Final is set to bring together some of the biggest names in athletics as the season reaches its climax in Brussels. While the two-day event will feature several of the sport’s leading stars, there will also be some notable absences from the starting line, including one of Africa’s fastest sprinters.
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Ferdinand Omanyala will miss the Diamond League Final for the second straight year, with injury once again ruling him out of the season-ending meet. The Kenyan had qualified for the 2025 final in Zurich as well, but was forced to withdraw before the race after suffering a hip and pelvic injury.
The 30-year-old has now been dealt another blow after a stress fracture in the heel bone of his left foot ended his season early.
“Unfortunately, due to a stress fracture to the heel bone of my left foot,” he wrote on X. “I won’t be able to compete in my final two races of the season. Not quite the finish we had planned, but there is so much from this season to celebrate and be grateful for.”
The injury occurred two weeks before the Commonwealth Games. Despite the injury, Omanyala travelled to Glasgow to defend the 100m title he won in 2022. He advanced to the semifinals but finished sixth in his semifinal in 10.19 seconds, ending his title defense. This is the current para. fine?
Still, the setback did little to overshadow what had otherwise been a strong season for Omanyala. Reflecting on his 2026 campaign, the sprinter highlighted his five consecutive sub-10-second performances.
“Five consecutive sub-10 performances. Closing the season ranked No. 3 in the Diamond League standings and a direct qualification for the inaugural Ultimate Championship,” he added.
Omanyala impressively began 2026, clocking 9.98 seconds in Addis Ababa, 9.96 in Nairobi, 9.95 in Botswana, 9.98 in Shanghai and 9.94 in Xiamen. His form dipped later in the season, with slower outings in Rome and Paris, before the Commonwealth Games brought another setback. Still, he managed to finish third in the men’s 100m Diamond League standings with 19 points, earning a spot in the Brussels final.
That third-place finish also secured Omanyala direct qualification for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. However, the heel injury means he will now miss both major opportunities.
Despite notable absences, Brussels is set for a star-studded finale
Omanyala is not the only major name from Kenya who will miss the closing stages of the 2026 season. Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has also ended her campaign early after struggling with a hamstring injury since the end of May.
“Since the end of May, I have been dealing with a hamstring injury and unfortunately it needs a bit longer to recover than I had hoped,” Kipyegon said.
She will miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship as well.
Despite her withdrawal, women’s middle-distance events are not expected to underdeliver. The expected 1500m lineup features Birke Haylom, Jessica Hull, Georgia Hunter Bell and Nikki Hiltz, while the 5000m is expected to include Freweyni Hailu, Likina Amebaw, Senayet Getachew and Medina Eisa. While the final fields are yet to be confirmed, the expected lineups suggest there will still be plenty of intrigue despite the three-time Olympic champion’s absence.
Meanwhile, the men’s 100m in Brussels still remains packed with sprinting talent after Omanyala’s withdrawal. In the men’s lineup, World champion Oblique Seville will line up alongside former world champion Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, Gift Leotlela, Akani Simbine and Emmanuel Eseme, while Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi has also entered the field. With the likes of Seville and Coleman bringing championship pedigree and several of the world’s fastest sprinters in the field, the men’s 100m still promises to be one of the races to watch in Brussels.
Omanyala’s next chance to chase a Diamond League title will have to wait until 2027, but the Brussels finale could still set the tone for the next season. With the Diamond League Final on September 4-5 followed by the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest a week later, the sport now enters its final stretch of the year, and the coming weeks will decide who finishes the season on top and who carries that momentum into 2027.